Southgate

Such a great Happy Hour! Pricing is reasonable, and the food and drink offered on the HH menu are more than just appetizers - it's a full meal! Even better, this place offers HH later than other spots, ending at 7 pm.We ordered from the HH menu, and we were not disappointed. The servings are decent-sized and shareable; we got the banchan set, mushroom and tofu bao buns, and the Southgate fries. I can't really choose a favorite as they were all so tasty. As for drinks, you can't go wrong with the Southgate Citywide - a pint of Kirin beer and a shot of soju for $6 is a steal! If you can't decide, then go for the mystery beer or seltzer. It's brought to you in a brown bag, and they guarantee you won't get the same drink if you subsequently order the mystery drink.There is some outdoor seating, but because of the heat, most people, including us, sat indoors, where it was quite crowded. We noticed that most people coming in had reservations, so be sure to have one beforehand. Our server, Joseph, was very friendly and attentive to our needs, even taking the time to chat and get to know us despite how busy he was.I highly recommend this restaurant and am definitely adding it to my options of go-to restaurants for the next time I'm in Philadelphia.

5/5 for the happy hour. walk in seating only at the bar, might not have a table for your group if you aren't early enough (like 5 ish). 5 dollar kirin, a huge bowl of fries, decent buns, suboptimal pajeon and dumplings (too oily and no flavor in the pancake). overall everything is sweet and spicy sauces. really a prime place to grab a cold beer and split some snacks, unsure if id go for the actual food at full cost. $35 pp after tax and tip for a beer and honestly a lot of snacks (fried chicken, fries, buns, pancake, dumplings) split with 1 other person

I've lived in the neighborhood for nearly 4 years and have never came to Southgate until recently. I've been missing out!!As many others have said, the happy hour is amazing and it goes until 7 which is rare. Souju punch is refreshing and tasty. I loved the bao buns (beef specifically) and the burger was delish. Ordered medium rare and came out that way.A place you'll want to make a reservation during any primetime, but despite a packed restaurant we were able to snag two seats at the little side bar.

Came here for a last minute dinner with a friend - we got there as happy hour ended, and they had several tables outside available on a beautiful day. Nice to know that such a great restaurant has availability without reservations! The outside set up was very nice and on a cute block. Our server was hilarious and kept making several jokes, and the food was great. I'm always craving good Korean so it's nice to know there is some in rittenhouse, where you wouldn't expect. The Brussels had a great gochujang sauce I couldn't get enough of and the mushroom dumplings were crispy and tangy. And we all know Koreans make the best wings! 100% will return!

Loved the aesthetic and chill ambiance of this place! Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable of their menu. His recommendations were awesome. Food was definitely on point! Keep in mind that their menu is actually a little bit different than what is online. Seems like they change some of their featured dishes often. The food was nicely seasoned and tasted like what I expected. We ordered the tofu and the mushroom bao buns and were not disappointed. The shiitake mushrooms tasted smoky and the cucumbers worked well with the slightly salty tofu. Only a few complaints with our experience here 1) the gochujang for the dolsot bibimbap was already in the bowl upon serving and 2) Having to pay for banchan lol. Traditionally in korean restaurants, gochujang sauce is usually placed on the side or in a squeeze bottle so you can control the amount of spice in your dish and banchan are served on the house and on the side. It is however a gastropub so it's one of those things you can take or leave it. The cabbage/radish kimchi we got were more on the fermented side than I usually like, but we really loved the cucumber kimchi. The right amount of sour/spicy/sweet and crunch were just chefs kiss. Their creme brulee was recommended by our server and it was fantastic! Super creamy with the right amount of sweetness. It wasn't heavy at all! As for their drinks... I only got to try one cocktail since it was actually pretty strong hahaha. It was a delicious drink regardless - you'll definitely taste the rum more than the soju. I will definitely come back to try more drinks in the future. Their happy hour actually runs until 7pm which is later than most places. We'll be back!

I would give South Gate 3.5/5 stars. So many people kept telling me check out Southgate because they have an amazing happy hour which is true! I think they're happy hour prices are really good. But I was expecting the restaurant to do Korean American flavors better. The best item I tried was their burger. In my opinion, there are few places in Philly that makes a juicy meaty classic burger. Southgate definitely did not disappoint! Their burger was exactly how a classic burger should be! I was disappointed with the southgate fries. They were too salty and overly sour. I expected the fries to be saucy and covered with gochujang aioli and sprinkled with gochugaru for garnish. But the fries were covered with a weird coagulated garlic sauce that was very sour. I think they added too much of one ingredient. And the aioli was on the side, the gochujang just seemed like it was added for color and not for flavor. The bao buns were just meh. The buns weren't as fluffy as I thought it would be. I was disappointed with the meats because they lacked depth in flavor. I don't think they make their bulgogi sauce from scratch. As a Korean American myself I was disappointed with the flavors. I think southgate is playing it safe with Korean flavors. Although my American husband loved everything and wants to go back. The restaurant is very cramped. You're sotting so close to the other table that I kept eavesdropping into other conversations. Also because southgate is popular, I felt like the service is trying to get people in and out at a quicker pace. I'll probably be back because my friends really like it here.

Vibes: casual, almost pub-like; bring a friend or a few Tasting notes:- Bossam: buttery, slightly charred, fairly salty pork belly; appreciated the warning regarding the extreme saltiness of the baby shrimp; would have preferred lettuce as the wrap, though cabbage helped cut the salt and offered a lovely crunch; enjoyed the banchan over the perfectly cooked rice - Bulgolgi burger: slightly sweet, wonderfully juicy meat; loved the pillowy bun; excellent meat-to-bun ratio; thick-cut fries made more addicting with the accompanying aioli - Peanut Chew Tart: rich and smooth chocolate combined with the slightly chewy, slightly gooey nougat and light, crumbly shortbread is a winner; loved the generous dollop of fresh homemade whipped cream - Soju Punch: on the sweeter side and very fruity, dangerously sippableOther thoughts:- Big plus with the weekend happy hour - Fast and attentive service - A lot of steps into and through the restaurant Impression: satisfies the very specific craving of Korean comfort food paired with soju!

I went during happy hour the best time to sample several items on the menu. My choices the pork bao buns, kimchi, Korean hot chicken sandwich and a citywide. I Loved the pork bao buns and kimchi. The Korean hot fried chicken sandwich was just so so it lacked the hot chicken and spicy Korean spice punch, it was kind of bland. The restaurant bar is a little narrow but a fair amount of seating. There is additional seating with heated lamps outside. Nice ambiance with an open kitchen. The service was excellent!Would I return? In a heartbeat!

I will start of by saying that the staff here is EXCEPTIONALLY patient and kind. I was super impressed and some other reviews here can attest to the same. I had to change my reservation several times and had plenty of questions related to the menu and they were so patient. I got the Southgate fries which I personally liked! They are thick cut and I personally loved how garlick-y it is. The garlic flavor is like garlic already peeled from the store versus garlic peeled in live time but I can see how pre peeled garlic saves time. The dolsot bibimbap was subpar. I had high expectations and there was almost no flavor. I got shrimp as an add-on and thought they gave enough shrimp. There was no kick, salt or flavor to it. The rest of my table got the fried chicken and katsu burger. GREAT portions. The katsu burger was "cooked to perfection." Huge portions, fried chicken can be shared between at least 3 people. Prices are fair, appetizers and entree prices are only a couple dollars of difference. They price the food in accordance to proportions. Also! Since we got fries as apps, they swapped out the fries with our burger with brussel sprouts! The brussel sprouts have an impeccable sauce added! Not too spicy, a bit tangy actually! We asked for the dessert menu but opted to not get anything as we were full!I would suggest adding some more vegan options to the menu! Would've loved to try a vegan version of the chicken!

Southgate is one of my top restaurants in Philly. They have something for everyone! Want a delectable, comfort food burger? Gotta go the crispy chicken sandwich. Want something lighter and healthier? The bibambop and hot stone bowl dishes are flavorful, fresh, and delightful. In the mood for soup? I'm still thinking about the thick, warm pork belly miso ramen soup. Just there for fries and a cocktail? You're in luck, they have a mean happy hour that runs for insane hours (till 7PM EVERY DAY of the week). They have ample vegan and vegetarian food. The prices are reasonable. I can't recommend the food enough. I've had half the menu now and nothing has been short of perfect. The servers are kind and attentive. I didn't know much about soju, and they explained all the different types for me. I opted for a bottle, which is certainly cost effective if youre trying to catch a buzz, but I preferred the taste of their soju cocktails. Beers are quite cheap during their happy hour. It's small and pretty crowded inside--definitely close quarters--so if you're looking for somewhere more intimate or quiet this probably isn't the place, although there's much more space outside for the warmer months. All around a great place for so many occasions, from date night to happy hour drinks with friends to a healthy quick lunch out. Try SouthGate! You will definitely be back.